Union: Firm mistreated teachers from Philippines

NEW ORLEANS 
A teachers' union is claiming that a California-based firm that recruited teachers from the Philippines to work in Louisiana schools made the educators pay fees of $15,000 or more.

The American Federation of Teachers filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor calling for an investigation. The complaint, dated Tuesday, follows similar ones the union's state affiliate filed last month with Louisiana officials.

The union says California-based Universal Placement International and its president, Lourdes "Lulu" Navarro, illegally collected the fees from teachers they recruited in the Philippines.

The union also claims the company holds the teachers' immigration documents to coerce payments.

A spokeswoman for Navarro did not immediately return a call for comment.